Happy Hop Day

A picture is worth a thousand words…and my feature foto is courtesy of Junque 2 Jewels.  Should you ever been in the market for a unique door mat, look no further, just sayin.

I’m excited to be taking part in this Blog Hop with a bunch of wonderfully talented folks.

Quilters who are new to blogging should consider this “hop” next time it happens.  I learned lots and want to thank our hosts Sandra at MMM Quilts, Tish at Tish n’Wonderland , Jen at Dizzy Quilter and Beth at  Cooking Up Quilts. All of them freely gave us their time and words of wisdom and encouragement this year.  I heartily recommend it.

FYI, I’m in Hive 2 and we call ourselves “In Stitches” We are all buttoned up by Carrie. Check out her handiwork.  Your can also go visit her blog…its the first one on the list below.

Actually, if you really want to be amazed and awe-struck, you should absolutely take a few minutes to check all the blogs on the agenda below for this week.

• Carrie – Carrie Bee Creates
• me – Freckled Fox Quiltery – you’re here.  And that makes me happy.
• Sharon A – MSP Designs USA
• Ann C – Laughing Gas Quilts
• Nicole – Hand Wrought Quilts
• Becca – Pretty Piney
• Sherry – Powered by Quilting
• Stephanie – Low Country Quilts and Embroidery

Now that you’re back…Do you want to know a bit about me? Spoiler alert! I am NOT good at tooting my own horn; however I am happy to share these details about me.

1. I am writing this post at 7:30 a.m. and confess I have been up for a couple hours already.  (BTW back in the 20th century when I was still dreaming about retirement, I DID NOT imagine getting up at the crack-of-dawn ever…nope I did not). Apparently its painless to get up in the morning, when I have the whole day unfolding in front of me and I can do whatever I want to. Who knew,
2. I recently forfeited all my daily cooking chores to my hubby….unless I have an unstoppable desire for chocolate chip cookies.  Hubby, sadly, does not bake. But happily, he will join me in eating any goodies that come out of the oven.
3. Ditto on all the daily cleaning chores.  I am consistently able to find something better to do than housework.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love my hubby? I do! I do!
4. I no longer feel the need to primp and fuss frantically with my personal appearance before going out into the world. A quick dip into the shower, and flick with the hairbrush is good enough most days.  (FYI you should call before you come over, as I may still be in my house-pants – aka pyjamas – at noon)
5. I am the proud parent of  two poodle children..yes I said “parent” and “poodle children”. I’ve turned into one of those persons who treats her pets as her children. (Hubby may be into this one as well).

Now on to some other things about me that are consistent with the theme of the post.

• I am a quilter/maker /lover of all things created by a person’s own hand.
• I have a mama’s  pride in every single quilt I ever birthed.  Even the wonky weird ones that make me wonder “why did I do that?” Here is a line up of traditional quilts by me.  (this was taken a while back before I discovered my style was morphing into  “modern” quilting).

Nowadays I am loving on all things modern.   I recently began (again) designing quilts myself.  Here are some fotos of the modern quilt blocks and quilts that I am piecing or just finishing this month.

Which way is UP?

A Sneak Peak at Merry-Go-Round

My version of The Avenue by Jen Kingwell.

• Some days, I think my head might explode because there are approximately twelve gazillion quilts bouncing around in there angling to get out into the real world.
• I blog about quilts and quilting because this is my passion.  I am proud to be part of this itty bitty piece of cyberspace and love to share my story with anyone who wants to listen.

At the end of the day and when I wake up in the morning, I am Velda, a person who is

• old enough to have escaped  from the routine of work-home-sleep-do it all over again, with my sanity (more or less) intact.
• young enough to dream about things I will still create.
• o-so-glad to be enjoying a simple fulfilling lifestyle;
• married to my one true love;  and
• Relaxed in my own skin, and hopeful that I may yet become someone better.

I have two blogging tips to share with you today.

1. Brainstorm ideas for posts from your followers and from blogs you love.  When you do this, it’s nice to link back to the blogger who sparked an idea to let them know how their words inspired you. (And perhaps they will come visit you, you will get a new follower, and the blogger love will continue to grow). And, always always always give proper credit to the originator of any material you put on your site.
2. Find your own voice and always write for yourself first.

Did I mention there are prizes for anyone who visits our blogs? You may be a lucky winner! To get all the eligibility info, and see what is being offered by the fabulous folks in the Quilty universe who are sponsoring this event, visit Sandra at MMM Quilts, or any of the other three hosts. You will be happy you did.

And finally…I’m curious.

What is it about quilting that makes your heart go pitty-pat?  For me, its the wonderful modern fabrics being released on line and in stores everywhere. I get giddy whenever I  see all the saturated colours, linear patterns and LV fabrics that make even basic blocks shine.   I confess that I spend way more time shopping on-line than is good for me or my wallet. How about you…what do you love about quilting and piecing?